Textile spinning ring



April 22, 1958 J. R. MULHOLLAND 2,831,314

TEXTILE SPINNING RING' Filed Oct. 15, 1954 INVENTOR. JAMES R. MULHOLLAND BY RIOHEY, WATTS,EDGERTON 8 M NENNY ATTOR TEXTELE SPINNING RING .iaines R. Mulhollantl, University Heights, Ohio Application Gctober 15, 1954, Serial No. 462,520

11 Claims. (Cl. 57-426) This invention relates to rings and travelers for textile frames of the type disclosed in my patent Re. 23,402, and in my co-pending application Serial No. 425,115, filed April 23, 1954 (docket 9944); and it is among the objects of my invention to provide a ring for a textile frame that will permit higher speed of operation, longer life for the traveier, longer unattended running time for each lubrication, and a ring and traveler which will not be adversely affected by lint and which will minimize the breakage of the cord being twisted or spun.

Recent improvements in spindle construction providing for high speed spindle operation and other improvements in textile spinning and twisting apparatus have not been generally adopted by the industry due to the speed limitations of the prior art rings and travelers. The problem of the traveler opening up due to the high frequency vibrations attending high speed operation has been satis factorily solved by the use of bearing liners corresponding to that disclosed in my patent Re. 23,402. The problem of lubricating a twister ring and shaping the lower edge of the ring so that the traveler will ride in an upright position at high speeds around the ring has been solved by rings made according to the disclosure of my said co-pending application.

in spinning of cotton, one of the prior art rings widely used by the textile industry requires the use of a ring holder. The ring holder is usually a die cast ring concentric with the spinning ring and constitutes an adapter for mounting the spinning ring on the frame. The ring holder has a depending annular portion fitting within the aperture in the frame and the inner diameter of the holder is proportioned to snugly fit the outer diameter of the spinning ring. The holder may be provided with an oil reservoir, and an oil hole is bored through the bottom of the reservoir through the holder and through the ring to the inner diameter of the spinning ring. This oil hole leading from the inside of the spinning ring to the oil reservoir is filled with a wick and thus lubricant is permitted to how from the reservoir through the wick to the inside of the ring in the path of the traveler. As will be understood by those familiar with this type of prior art ring, the wick opening in the path of the traveler adversely affects the operation of the traveler and the excess lubricant picked up by the traveler is discharged centrifugally into the narrow space between the ring holder and the lower edge of the ring where the lubricant and lint becomes packed and hardened.

As the description of the ring of my invention proceeds it will appear that I have eliminated the ring holder entirely and the wick hole at the inside of the ring.

The spinning of cotton with a small diameter ring such as, for example, a three inch ring, presents serious difiiculties with respect to linting and lubrication which -appears to be related to the light-weight traveler employed. These difiiculties are particularly serious where the conventional all steel prior art ring is used and where it is attempted to lubricate the ring by frequently smearing the inside of the ring with a semi-solid lubricant. It

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appears that the lint which is characteristic of cotton spinning combines with such lubricant as may be required for a few hours of running to form a dense compact mass which prevents free operation of the traveler on the ring and the attendant breakage of the cord. A small amount of lubricant smeared on the ring in one application reduces the running time between lubrication applications. Increase in the amount of lubricant in a single application aggravates the linting problem since the excess lubricant piles upon the traveler and gathers lint.

It is among the objects of the present invention to retain the advantages with respect to high frequency vibration dampening as set forth in my said reissue patent, to utilize the liner of bearing material as a part of the lubrication system and retain the other advantages of my said co-pending application, and at the same time provide a lubricating system employing a lubricating oil progressively fed in such limited amounts that the ring and traveler will operate in a lint free manner and unattended for long periods of time.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a textile spinning ring having a bearing liner, a lubricant chamber within the ring in back of the liner and a lubricant reservoir exteriorly of the ring whereby the movement of the traveler along the bearing liner effects the continuous transmission of minute quantities of oil in a sequential fashion from the exterior reservoir to the lubricant chamber behind the bearing liner and thence to the interior of the ring in the contact path of the traveler.

it is a further object of my invention to provide a textile ring, according to the preceding object, wherein the ring may be operated in a lint free manner at high speeds such as for instance 6,500 R. P. M. over a long period of time such as for instance hours without additional lubrication and without perceptible wear on the traveler or the ring.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a spinning ring according to the preceding objects wherein the lubricant chamber in back 'of the bearing liner is provided with a Wick and wherein the passageway from the exterior lubricant reservoir to the wick is formed to provide a diameter such that the lubricant moves from the exterior reservoir to the wick by a capillary action and thus prevents the accumulation of excess lubricant on the interior of the ring or on the traveler.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a spinning or twisting ring having an exterior lubricant reservoir with a conduit connecting the exterior reservoir to the interior of the ring wherein the conduit and exterior reservoir may be readily replaced without removing the ring.

Further objects and advantages relating to uninterrupted long periods of high speed operation will appear from the following description and 'the appended drawings, wherein Fig. l is an elevation of parts in section showing a ring made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the ring of the present invention mounted in a twisting frame;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts broken away showing the details of the mounting of the exterior reservoir forming a part of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken at the plane indicated at 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the spinning frame shown in section in Fig. l is indicated at 5. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the spinning frame is provided with a large number of circular apertures as at 6 to receive a corresponding number of spinning rings. The spinning frame generally in use is mounted so as to be raised and lowered during the machines operation to progressively and repeatedly traverse the vertical height of the spindle. The spinning ring indicated in its entirety as at 7 may be secured in the frame in the usual manner by set screws (not shown) carried by the frame and bearing against the outer diameter of the ring 7 which is within the opening 6 of the frame. The ring 7 is preferably of case-hardened steel and is provided with a bearing material liner 8 and an annular lubricant chamber 9 within the ring immediately in back of the bearing liner 8. The bearing liner 8 is preferably of Phosphor bronze and is rolled into the groove formed on the interior of the ring so as to provide for the distribution of lubricant from the lubricant chamber 9 to the inner diameter of the ring whereby a thin film of lubricant is formed in that area where the traveler 10 bears against the interior of the ring. The clearance between the upper and lower walls of the groove and the liner 8 provide a pair of spaced annular lubricant channels between the chamber 9 and the inner face of the ring. The lower edge of the ring 7 is preferably formed as shown in the drawing and as disclosed in detail in my said co-pending application so that the traveler 10 will move about the ring in an upright position during operation. During such operation the cotton cord as at 10a runs through the upper book of the traveler.

During the assembly of the ring and prior to the insertion of the bearing liner 8 in its groove, a cotton wick 11 is placed in the lubricant chamber 9. The cotton wick is indicated in Fig. 1 as at 11 and is annular in form so as to substantially fill the annular lubricant chamber. During the operation of the ring, it is believed that the traveler 10 held against the liner 8 by centrifugal force actuates the liner 8 somewhat in the manner of a diaphragm so as to continuously pump minute quantities of oil from the wick 11 in the lubricant chamber 9 onto the interior surface of the ring. Due to the high speed of operation and the small amounts of lubricant we are concerned with, it is difficult to determine definitely the precise action of the traveler with respect to the bearing liner which effects movement of the lubricant to a position where it lubricates the traveler.

The wick 11 within the lubricant chamber 9 is supplied with lubricant from the oil cup 12 carried by the ring and frame. A conduit or pipe 13 is soldered or otherwise secured to the oil cup 12 and the pipe is bent downwardly where it extends into the inclined bore of the ring as at 1311. The oil pipe terminates in the chamber 9 in contact with the wick 11. The downwardly bent portion 13:: of the oil pipe fits snugly within the inclined bore in the ring but is not soldered or otherwise secured to the ring. The base of the oil cup 12 as at 12a rests on the horizontal surface of the frame 5 and is maintained in its operative position as shown by a clip 14. The clip 14 embraces the top and sides of the outlet portion of the oil cup 12 and is anchored to the frame 5 by a screw fastener 15 as best shown in Fig. 4. In the event that it is desired to remove the oil cup 12 and its pipe 13 for cleaning or replacement, it is only necessary to remove the threaded screw fastener 15 and lift the pipe 13 upwardly in the direction of the section 13:: as indicated in the dotted line 13b. Thus the oil cup and its conduit are readily replaceable as a unit without disturbing the mounting of the ring 7 in the frame 5. The oil cup 12 is preferably provided with a hinged cover as at 12b to prevent the accumulation of lint or dust within the cup 12.

In the operation of a spinning ring according to the present invention, it is preferred that a lubricating oil such as Russian-type mineral oil having a viscosity of about 30 to 35 (A. S. A. E. viscosmeter) be employed. A spinning ring of three inch diameter operates satisfactorily with an oil pipe having an outside diameter of about $4 of an inch and an inner diameter of .025 inch. Such pipe inside diameter, particularly a pipe having an inner diameter proportioned with respect to the surface 4 tension of the lubricant employed will not drip oil due to gravity at the bottom end of the pipe. When the bottom end of the pipe, however, is in contact with the wick 11 and the ring is in operation, such oil is progressively moved through the oil pipe from the exterior reservoir to the wick by capillary action.

It is among the important advantages of the arrangement here disclosed that there is insufiicient lubricant head pressure at the bottom of the oil pipe to discharge oil to the interior of the ring due to gravity. This results in an arrangement whereby there is no surplus oil at the interior of the ring at any time. There are no gravitational forces elfective to cause oil to appear at the interior of the ring when the machine is not in operation. The small diameter of the opening in the oil pipe is eifective to prevent the oil stored in the oil cup from moving downwardly into the wick chamber 9. When the ring is in operation; however, the oil is advanced in the required minute quantities as above described until the oil stored in the oil cup 12 has been used. With this arrangement and with the pipe sizes and type of oil here described, I have found that a ring will run for hours without refilling the oil cup 12. Such runs have been conducted at high speeds such as, for example, 6,500 R. P. M. and spin cotton at such speeds without linting the traveler or ring and without breaking the cord. The oil cup size is limited only by frame area available and the large cup facilitates rapid refilling.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size of the annular oil chamber which may be obtained within the ring back of the bearing liner is limited by the strength requirements of the ring. The ring must be proportioned so as to withstand the high pressures applied to the ring by the set screws in the frame and that extensive deepening or enlargement of the annular oil chamber 9 would weaken the ring and cause it to fail under the operating conditions to which it is subjected. The use of the oil cup and the oil pipe as herein disclosed, provides an oil reservoir of substantial open top area so that the cup may be easily and quickly refilled and the attachment of the oil pipe to the cup along with the sliding fit of the oil pipe in the ring, makes the unit flexible and easily serviced by unskilled labor.

Although I have disclosed and described my invention in considerable detail and particularly in connection with a ring having the features of my said reissue patent and my said co-pending application, numerous modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A textile ring for use with a traveler, said ring having upper and lower edge portions adapted to be embraced by upper and lower hooked portions of the traveler, said ring having a continuous circumferential channel in the interior face of the ring, a liner of bearing material within said channel and a lubricant chamber within the ring in back of said bearing liner, said ring having a passageway leading upwardly from said chamber to the exterior of the ring adjacent the upper edge portion of the ring, a lubricant reservoir mounted exteriorly of the ring having an outlet pipe, said outlet pipe extending downwardly through said passageway in the ring and terminating in said lubricant chamber.

2. A textile ring for use with a traveler, said ring having upper and lower edge portions adapted to be embraced by upper and lower hooked portions of the traveler, said ring having a continuous circumferential channel in the interior face of the ring, an imperforate liner within said channel and a lubricant chamber within the ring in back of said liner, a wick in said chamber, said ring having a passageway leading from said chamber to the exterior of the ring adjacent the upper edge portion of the ring, a removable lubricant reservoir mounted exteriorly of the ring having a downwardly bent outlet pipe,

:said outlet pipe extendingdownwardly through said passageway in the ring and terminating in contact with said wick in said lubricant chamber.

3. A textile ring for spinning or twisting fiber, said ring having an outer cylindrical surface adapted to be secured within a circular aperture in a textile frame, a projecting shoulder on the outer surface of said ring overhanging the periphery of said aperture in the frame, said ring having an upper rim portion projecting above the frame adapted to be embraced by the upper hook of a traveler, said ring having a lower rim portion projecting beneath the frame adapted to be embraced by the lower hook of a traveler, said ring having a continuous circumferential channel in the interior face of the ring, a lubricant wick in said channel, an imperforate bearing metal liner in said channel, a lubricant reservoir mounted on the frame adjacent the said shoulder, said reservoir having a downturned outlet pipe arranged to extend down through said ring, said outlet pipe terminating at its lower end in contact with the wick in said channel, said outlet pipe having a bore proportioned with respect to the surface tension of the lubricant so that the lubricant in the reservoir will not flow freely through the pipe in response to gravity but will effect release of lubricant to the wick at the lower end of the pipe by capillary action.

4. A textile ring for spinning or twisting fiber, said ring having an outer cylindrical surface secured within a circular aperture in a textile frame, a shoulder on the outer surface of said ring in contact with the frame around said aperture, said ring having an upper rim portion projecting above the frame adapted to be embraced by the upper hook of a traveler, said ring having a lower rim portion projecting beneath the frame adapted to be embraced by the lower hook of a traveler, said ring having a continuous circumferential channel opening into the interior face of the ring, an imperforate metal liner in said channel, a lubricant wick in said channel in back of the liner, a lubricant reservoir on the frame adjacent the ring, said reservoir having an outlet pipe, said outlet pipe terminating in the wick in said channel, said outlet pipe having a small bore restricting the flow of lubricant to the wick to capillary action.

5. A textile ring for spinning or twisting textile fibers, said ring adapted to be mounted in an opening in a textile frame, the outer surface of said textile ring being in part cylindrical having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the opening in the textile frame, said ring having a continuous circumferential channel in the interior face of said ring adjacent the lower edge thereof, an imperforate liner of bearing material within said channel, an annular oil wick chamber in back of said bearing liner, said ring having an inclined straight bore leading upwardly through the ring from said oil wick chamber and terminating at the outer surface of the ring above the textile frame, a lubricant reservoir having an outlet pipe mounted on the frame adjacent the ring, said outlet pipe having a downwardly bent portion fitting within said bore in the ring, said pipe having an inside diameter of about .025 inch whereby lubricant in the reservoir is restricted from moving downwardly in the pipe in response to gravity and whereby lubricant is progressively moved to the interior face of the ring from said wick by said liner and said wick is progressiveiy replenished by capillary action at the lower end of said pipe.

6. A textile ring and traveler for spinning or twisting textile fibers, said ring adapted to be mounted in an opening in a textile frame, the outside of said ring being cylindrical in part and being fixed in the opening in the textile frame, said ring having a continuous circumferential channel in the interior face of said ring adjacent the lower edge thereof, an imperforate liner of bearing material within said channel in the path of the traveler, an oil wick chamber in back of said bearing liner, said ring having an inclined straight bore leading upwardly through the ring from said oil wick chamber to the outer surface of the ring above the textile frame, a lubricant reservoir having an outlet pipe mounted on the frame adjacent thering, said outlet pipe having a downwardly bent portion fitting withinsaid bore in the ring, said pipe having an inside diameter of more than .020 inch and less than .060 inch whereby lubricant in the reservoir'is restrained from flowing downwardly in the pipe in response to gravity, and whereby said wick is replenished by capillary'aetion at the lower end of said pipe.

7. A textile ring for use with a traveler comprising a casehardened steel ring having upper and lower rim portions adapted to be embraced by upper and lower hook portions of a traveler, said ring having lubrication means for the traveler comprising a lubricant channel opening into the inner face ofthe ring, a wick in said channel, a

lubricant reservoir having a downwardly bent outlet pipe mounted exteriorly of the ring, said ring having a passageway leading upwardly from said channel adapted to receive said downwardly bent pipe, said pipe having an inside diameter in the range of about .020 inch to about .060 inch whereby lubricant may be conducted through the pipe to the wick by capillary action.

8. A textile ring for use with a bronze traveler comprising a steel ring having upper and lower rim portions adapted to be embraced by upper and lower hook portions of the traveler, said ring having lubrication means for the traveler comprising annular lubricant grooves opening into the inner face of the ring, an annular wick in said ring adjacent said grooves, a lubricant reservoir having a downwardly bent outlet pipe mounted ex teriorly of said ring, said ring having a passageway leading up wardly from said channel adapted to receive said downwardly bent pipe, said pipe having an inside diameter in the range of about .020 inch to about .060 inch and terminating at its lower end at said wick.

9. A textile ring for spinning or twisting comprising an annular steel ring having upper and lower rim portions adapted to be embraced by the upper and lower hooks of a bronze traveler, said ring having an annular lubricating chamber formed on the inner face of said ring, a textile frame supporting the ring, a removable lubricant supply for said chamber comprising a reservoir on said frame and having a downwardly bent outlet pipe, said ring having a passageway between said chamber and the exterior of the ring above the frame adapted to receive said outlet pipe, said pipe proportioned to extend through said passageway and terminate in said chamber whereby the lubricant reservoir and the pipe may be lifted upwardly as a unit and removed without disturbing the mounting of the ring in the frame.

10. A ring for spinning or twisting textile fibers comprising an annular ring having upper and lower rim portions adapted to be embraced by upper and lower traveler hooks, said ring having an annular lubricating chamber in the ring opening onto the inner face of said ring, a textile frame supporting the ring with the upper rim portion above the frame, a removable lubricant supply for said chamber comprising a reservoir on the upper surface of said frame and having a depending outlet pipe, said ring having a passageway between said chamber and the exterior of the ring adapted to receive said depending outlet pipe, said pipe proportioned to extend throughout the length of said passageway and terminating in said chamber whereby the lubricant reservoir and the pipe may be removed as a unit from the ring without disturbing the mounting of the ring in the frame.

ll. A textile ring for spinning or twisting fiber, said ring having an outer cylindrical surface adapted to be secured within a circular aperture in a textile frame, a projecting shoulder on the outer surface of said ring overhanging the periphery of said aperture in the frame, said ring having an upper rim portion projecting above the frame adapted to be embraced by the upper hook of a traveler, said ring having a lower rim portion projecting beneath the frame adapted to be embraced by the 7; 3 lower hook of the traveler, said ring having a continuous References Cited in the file of this patent circumferential channel in the interior face of the ring, a lubricant wick in said channel, an imperforate' bearing UNITED STATES PATENTS metal liner in said channel in the path of the shank of 1,462,174 Hale July 17, 1923 the traveler whereby the liner in response to traveler 5 2,333,069 Fillinger Oct. 26, 1943 contact conducts lubricant from the said wick to the 2,470,736 Atwood May 17, 1949 traveler shank between the edge of the liner and the sides of the channel receiving the liner, a lubricant reser- FOREIGN PATENTS voir supported by the frame adjacent the ring, said reservoir having an outlet pipe, said ring having a passage- 10 gig: 2 52 "a way leading from the channel to the exterior of the German Se 1931 ring, said passageway being disposed at an angle with 725660 France y "f 5 1932 respect to the horizontal plane of the frame, said outlet pipe proportioned with respect to the passageway so as to fit therewithin and terminate in said channel. 15 

